Class Blog Archive

It was great to see so many last Sunday for our first class meeting. At that class, I made the claim that we live in a sick -- even insane -- culture, and we discussed many examples of the craziness. I trust I made that point sufficiently with the numerous examples I shared, but we will continue to discuss these issues as they touch on future class topics. I also made the claim that the Catholic Faith is True, i.e. sane, balanced, makes sense of life, has integrity and coherence, and makes a life of freedom possible.

We will be meeting for class tomorrow, October 4, and will begin to explore true answers to the big questions, and a reasonable and meaningful alternative to the insanity and emptiness around us.

Mary, Mother of God (aka Divine Maternity):

• Mary: Mother of God **
• How Can Mary Be God’s Mother? **
• God-Bearer (This Rock: April 2002) **

Perpetual Virginity:

• Mary: Ever Virgin

Immaculate Conception and Bodily Assumption:

 Beginning Apologetics 1: pp 14-17 “Apostolic Authority, Peter and the Papacy” Quick Answers: Don’t Revelation 3:7 and Isaiah 22 point to Christ – not Peter – as having the keys of David? Articles and Tracts: Peter’s Authority (Scripture) ** Tract: Peter and the Papacy – No Rocks Required (Scripture) ** Stewards of the Kingdom (History) […]

Beginning Apologetics 1: p 13 "The Bible Alone?"

If you missed class and want to catch up:

• The Protestant Achilles Heel by Tim Staples **

Quick Answers:

• Prayer: Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit

1. 1. Objection 8: (from a Protestant site) When it came to the Old Testament, three important facts were considered: 1) The New Testament quotes from or alludes to every Old Testament book but two. 2) Jesus effectively endorsed the Hebrew canon in Matthew 23:35 when He cited one of the first narratives and one of the last in the Scriptures of His day. 3) The Jews were meticulous in preserving the Old Testament Scriptures, and they had few controversies over what parts belong or do not belong. The Roman Catholic Apocrypha did not measure up and fell outside the definition of Scripture and has never been accepted by the Jews.

• Prayer: Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit

1. Summary / recap - Last time, we discussed how we know what belongs in the Bible.
   1. Both the contents of the Old and the New Testaments were debated in the early Church. Some NT books, including Hebrews, 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, and Revelation were disputed. Other books eventually excluded from the canon were thought by some Christians to be inspired, including Clement's First Letter and the Didache.
   2. In essence, we depend on the authority of the Catholic Church to know which books belong in the NT as well as the OT.
   3. Echoes of the Septuagint – e.g.

I know it's short notice, but I just learned of a parish mission at St. Matthew Catholic Church, Hillsboro, presented by lay evangelist Richard Lane. Begins tomorrow! Here's the info from St. Matthew parish's website: